Here's my wishlist for the next release of WPF (in no particular order).
Frame-based Animation Support out of the box
WTF:Animation was created to fill this gap. Frame animations are a must for achieving complex effects without having to spend too much memory resources among other things. It is safe to assume many a graphic designer will feel awkward in Blend without this feature.
Window/Page level triggers
Some time back I posted about the need for page/window level triggers. I think that would be very helpful. See my old post for more info.
XBAP to work out of the sandbox / better integration with ASP.net
I really love XBAP. It may not seem like a good idea for broad online release, but in contained environments such as intranets and corporate networks, XBAP makes a lot of sense. Everyone uses the same XBAP from a single location. It has the full toolset of WPF Win Apps, but runs in the browser.
The current sandbox structure it runs in limits it greatly though. I'd love to see some better integration WCF/WebServices and ASP.net itself. It would be a very powerful combination.
Blend Modes (please!!)
It has been 3 years since I started yelling about this. I want blend modes in WPF! How does Microsoft expect designers to do awesome stuff without blend modes? Read my really old post to find out more.
WTF:PowerImage was created to supply at least one blend mode through hacks.
Make 3D objects interactive and have a full event-model like normal controls
3D Objects are too static in the current WPF releases. I'd love to see a basic 3DObject class that can be inherited by all 3D meshes imported on to the form. An event model, even a very simple one, would greatly help push 3d implementation in regular software.
3D Charts are just one example of 3D in software. Z-space (depth) based distribution is an awesome time saver and enhances visualization in many scenarios. All the "carousel" controls we've seen so far only simulate depth by using ScaleTransform and TranslateTransform, but with REAL interactive 3D objects we could see some amazing things.
I'll try to post some examples soon.
New Controls: 3D versions of the Panels (Stack, Wrap, Grid, etc.)
If we're going to have 3D objects that can be interactive, then we need 3D implementations of the Panel controls. Sure, you can import 20 different 3D controls into the current Panels, but with each object comes a bunch of lights, a camera, a 3D Viewport and other things. All those objects give you a high overhead - especially for low-end systems. You also can't do camera movements if every object uses a different camera.
With the controls I'm talking of, you'd create a 3D viewport which would have the lights and camera. You add a container like a StackPanel. Then you can add multiple meshes/3D objects to the StackPanel.
Interactive version of VisualBrush
VisualBrushes are great. They help a lot. But perhaps the next release could have a more powerful version of the VisualBrush where interaction with the controls of the source of the Brush is also possible.
Out-of-the-box Window dragging capabilities
How many times do we have to create a huge Thumb control and add the drag code in its events.
Out-of-the-box Vista Glass support
It's not hard to implement. But it is time consuming. I think this support should be given right out of the box. A property like the Margin property where you give the coordinates for the glass, and it is applied for you.
Customizable Page-Navigation frame
This would be nice. Page frames can be nice, but they stick out in branded apps with their silvery shine. They really should be customizable.
Anyone on the WPF team wants details, feel free to contact me anytime.